Friends, I’m shook. You know when you listen to a song on an album and yes, it sounds and feels good but you never fully understand the impact of it until you watch and listen to it by way of a live performance? You know, when the visual concept coupled with aggressive choreography, stinging lyrics, and powerful vocals take the song to another level, whisk the group with it and make you pause a moment to say, ‘oh my god, what just happened?!’ This is exactly the mind-blowing experience I had when I watched Winner performed Mola from their latest EP release, We.

I know that Winner is getting ready to drop new music like any second now, but in waiting for new music it is always fortunate when a group or artist has a catalog of exceptional work in place to keep fans satisfied while they wait. In my opinion, one of those past offerings has to be one of the most beautiful love songs ever written but, to my knowledge, never officially released: Kang Seung Yoon’s 0 더하기 1 [0+1] from the web drama series We Broke Up. Seriously. The first time I heard this song was in the context of the drama and it left a deep and emotional impression on me, one that remains to this day.

I have to admit that over the past year I have been listening to more and more Korean R&B. So it stands to reason then that when a K-pop group, member(s) and/or sub-unit(s) within those groups take a trip on the R&B highway, I have been finding myself boarding that bus. Got7 is one of those groups. And even though they have been pumping out music since 2014, my sheltered, single-focused fangirl ears never wandered to have a listen. All I can say is this: I missed out . . . like in, missed the bus completely! Specifically where leader JB is concerned.

As we inch closer to the release of Winner’s second mini album, their agency (YG Entertainment) continues to tease with visuals. This latest update gives us the date and time of the release along with the album title, We.

Have you experienced the vocal stylings of Sam Kim yet? If not, please get on board because you will not be disappointed. This young Korean-American singer-songwriter-composer-guitarist has some serious talent wrapped in his very young yet amazingly mature 21 years (or 22, if you are playing by Korean age rules). Sam barreled into my lane about six months ago when he released a three song EP, Sun and Moon, Pt. 1 and I have not wasted any time gobbling up everything he has recorded and released.

On May 3rd, YG Entertainment released a comeback teaser photo announcing the release of new music from Winner coming on May 15th!! Wow…the perfect early birthday gift if I do say so myself. Yes, I am a May-baby! As much as I was hoping for a full album release, I am happy to to hear whatever the talented quartet has in store for us. And besides, I am quality over quantity kind of girl.^^ Hmmm, I notice that the 15th is 스승의날, or Teacher’s Day in Korea. Any significance? Probably not…or, perhaps just a lesson in learning that good things happen to those who wait.